Plurality of mobile communication devices for performing locally collaborative operations

• US 8,380,127 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2008
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Inventors: Halla, Brian L., Polacek, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John J
• Application Number:
  US12/260,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20100105325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,574 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455/550.1, 455/551, 455/552.1, 455/567, 455/90.1, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/418, 455/419, 455/420, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/502, 455/503, 455/517, 455/520, 455/67.11, 455/68, 709/224, 709/203, 700/295, 707/200, 707/291
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/305 Source positioning in a soundscape, e.g. instrument positioning on a virtual soundstage, stereo panning or related delay or reverberation changes; Changing the stereo width of a musical source
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/175 for jam sessions or musical collaboration through a network, e.g. for composition, ensemble playing or repeating; Compensation of network or internet delays therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/211 Wireless transmission, e.g. of music parameters or control data by radio, infrared or ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/311 MIDI transmission G10H2240/056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/321 Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/00 Systems employing more than two channels, e.g. quadraphonic H04S5/00, H04S7/00 take precedence

Abstract

A plurality of mobile communication devices for performing one or more locally collaborative operations. In one embodiment, one of the mobile communication devices provides a first local energy emission and, related thereto, a local wireless transmission signal, while another of the mobile communication devices responds to the local wireless transmission signal by providing a second local energy emission related to the first local energy emission. In another embodiment, one of the mobile communication devices receives a local stimulus, exclusive of vocal energy emitted by a user, and in response thereto provides a local wireless transmission signal, while another of the mobile communication devices responds to the local wireless transmission signal by providing a local energy emission related to the local stimulus. In another embodiment, each of the mobile communication devices receives a respective portion of a local stimulus in response to which at least one of the mobile communication devices transmits a local wireless transmission signal in response to which a second one of the mobile communication devices provides a local energy emission related to responses to the local stimulus in addition to its own. In additional embodiments, each of the mobile communication devices receives a respective portion of a local stimulus and in response thereto transmits a wireless transmission signal for collaboratively providing, to a remotely located system, information about the various responses to the local stimulus.

Claims

1. A plurality of mobile communication devices for performing one or more locally collaborative operations for sensing a local environment and remote reception, wherein each one of said plurality of mobile communication devices comprises:

wireless communication circuitry responsive to

one or more local wireless transmission signals from at least another of said plurality of mobile communication devices by providing one or more incoming local communication signals, and

one or more outgoing local communication signals by providing one or more local wireless transmission signals for reception by at least another of said plurality of mobile communication devices;

processing circuitry coupled to said wireless communication circuitry and responsive to at least one of said one or more incoming local communication signals and one or more input signals by providing at least one of one or more output signals and said one or more outgoing local communication signals; and

input/output circuitry coupled to said processing circuitry and responsive to at least one of one or more local stimuli and said one or more output signals by providing at least one of said one or more input signals and one or more local energy emissions;

wherein

a first one of said plurality of mobile communication devices receives a first one of said one or more local environmental characteristic stimuli, exclusive of sound energy emitted by the local environment, and in response thereto provides a first one of said one or more local wireless transmission signals, and

a second one of said plurality of mobile communication devices responds to said first one of said one or more local wireless transmission signals by providing a first one of said one or more local energy emissions related to said first one of said one or more local environmental characteristic stimuli.

2. The plurality of mobile communication devices of claim 1, wherein said one or more local energy emissions comprises at least one of an emission of acoustic energy and an emission of visible light.

3. The plurality of mobile communication devices of claim 1, wherein said wireless communication circuitry comprises at least one of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry and infrared (IR) transceiver circuitry.

4. The plurality of mobile communication devices of claim 1, wherein said input/output circuitry comprises at least one of:

sensing circuitry, including at least one sensor, responsive to a sensing of the local environmental characteristic by providing said one or more input signals; and

user input circuitry, including an alphanumeric keypad, responsive to one or more entries of a user as said one or more local stimuli by providing said one or more input signals.

5. The plurality of mobile communication devices of claim 1, wherein said processing circuitry comprises:

memory circuitry to store a plurality of instructions; and

computer circuitry coupled to said memory circuitry and responsive to said plurality of instructions by

processing said one or more incoming local communication signals to provide said one or more output signals, and

processing said one or more input signals to provide said one or more outgoing local communication signals.